Search smh:

Search in:

Fire victims remembered four years on

Daniel Fogarty

The lone chimney standing tall in the forest showed just how destructive the Black Saturday bushfires had been.

It was all that remained of a Kinglake home, one of the thousands of Victorian houses destroyed in the February 2009 fires that claimed 173 lives.

Four years on, the brick chimney no longer stands in Kinglake but in a forest exhibit at the Melbourne Museum, where it provided the backdrop on Sunday to a service marking the anniversary of the fires.

Survivors, families of those who perished in the blaze and people from communities affected by the fires joined dignitaries including Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu and Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews to mark last Thursday's anniversary.

Advertisement

Mr Baillieu said the event was about remembering an "appalling tragedy" and never forgetting those whose lives were claimed by them.

"The bushfires of 2009 had an enormous and lasting impact on communities and families in our state," he said.

"There is not a single Victorian who wasn't touched by this disaster, but also inspired by the resilience of the communities involved as they continue to rebuild and recover."

Mr Baillieu said the chimney was a permanent reminder for future generations of the fire.

He said it was fitting that the event was held at the Melbourne Museum - a place where people remember the past and seek to understand things.

Police chaplin Reverend Dr John Broughton, who led the service, said it was not about remembering a day, but remembering the 173 people who died.

The day was also about remembering the courage and compassion showed by people including firefighters, police and other emergency services during the fires.

As the service drew to a close attendees were invited to place flower petals on water in a symbolic act of remembrance.

The service came as firefighters battle several major blazes across Victoria including the 80,000-hectare Aberfeldy fire.